Firefighters in Hampshire will be swapping the fire engine for bicycles this summer in an effort to reduce arson incidents in the New Forest.
Officers from Hardley fire station will take part in joint patrols on bicycles with Accredited Community Safety Officers (ACSOs) in areas of the forest that have been affected by arson in recent years.
Many parts of the South East of England are already under drought warnings, with hosepipe bans coming into force this week, so the effects of arson in such a dry year could be particularly devastating.
Station manager Mick Thompson said, “Every year during the spring and summer, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service sees an increase in rural fires; many of these are started deliberately. Weekly bike patrols are another part of our proactive strategy to inform and educate on the dangers of arson.
“Working with our partners from Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Constabulary, they will increase our presence and visibility in areas where we have experienced this problem, and allow us to interact with other forest users to help deliver this community safety message that arson is a dangerous, anti-social and illegal activity.”
One key goal of the patrols is to drastically reduce the number of call-outs, freeing up the fire services limited resources to deal with other genuine emergencies.
ACSO team leader Dean Birch said, “This proactive approach can hopefully reduce what alternatively is a very costly reactive response when a deliberate fire is set.”
Meanwhile, Inspector Alex Reading of Hampshire Constabulary praised the tactics saying, “We already work with the local community and partners to try to educate people about the dangers of deliberately starting fires, the risk it poses to wildlife, and the damage it causes to the countryside. This is an exciting new approach to the problem from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service”.
